This invention relates to trailers and more specifically to a monolithic refrigerated trailer enclosure formed of polyurethane covered entirely with a layer of fiberglass reinforced resinous material, laving means for dispensing beverages on the sides thereof and a wheel and trailer hitch assembly secured thereto by the same resinous material.
Insulated trailers equipped with refrigeration units are well known, an example thereof being disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,553,403. These trailers typically have thermally insulated walls, roof and floor and have an opening in the end thereof for mounting a refrigeration unit. The wheel and hitch assembly is normally secured to a metal frame in the manner shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,003,810.
Such frames are usually secured to the floor member by a plurality of fasteners which extend through the floor. The wall, roof and floor members can have a core of fiberglass or polyurethane insulation with an outer and inner layer of either sheet metal or hard, impervious, resin material as shown in the aforementioned patents. Such construction of the refrigerated insulated trailers of the prior art had numerous drawbacks which centered primarily around their inability to seal the joints where the outer metal or hard resin material sheets come together which resulted in moisture entering the core material to either cause disintegration or saturation thereof. In addition, the fasteners used to secure the under frame to the floor member often penetrate the sheet metal or hard resin material surface that faces the interior of the trailer. This enables moisture to enter the core of the floor member particularly when the inside of the trailer is being washed. These and other disadvantages of insulated, refrigerated trailers of the prior art are overcome by the unique construction techniques of the present invention.
It is therefore the primary object of the present invention to provide a superior insulated, refrigerated trailer and method of making same suitable for storing and dispensing cold beverages.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an insulated beverage trailer and method of making same that is constructed entirely of polyurethane and fiberglass reinforced resinous material.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a monolithic structure in the form of a trailer without seams or joints that can leak.
It is a further object to provide an insulated, self-contained refrigerated trailer and method of making same having beverage dispensing means on the sides thereof and a wheel and trailer hitch assembly secured thereto by the same resinous material forming the trailer inner and outer surfaces.
It is a still further object to provide an insulated beverage trailer which is relatively inexpensive to construct and which is extremely rigid due to its monolithic construction.
These and other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will be more fully set forth in the detailed description which follows.